Reach For The Stars With Abbie

Get  Over  Yourself... We're Only Disabled! Chapter 20 We have feelings! Of course we all have feelings, but sometimes people can say things that they don't mean anything by.  However, just a few words can make people feel down about themselves, whether it’s about their disability or not.  We have the same feelings as everyone else but we may need support to express and channel our feelings in the right way, so we don't feel overly upset or anxious. Sometimes for people with a disability, feelings and behaviours change quickly during the day.  People should respect an individual’s feelings and support them in whatever mood they are in.  It is good for people to encourage happy and positive feelings as this makes a person comfortable to be able to discuss their feelings and emotions with them whenever they feel is necessary.  This would help the person to feel supported and understood. Feelings can be projected onto another person when they are being spoken about.  This

 Get Over Yourself ... We're Only Disabled! Hi my lovely readers, hope you are well. Chapter 19 Is it ok to drink  alcohol with a Disability? When I did research for this chapter, I typed in “Can a person with Down Syndrome drink alcohol?” .  The answer? “As long as they are the legal drinking age, yes they can!” This is a great quote to open this chapter as it gives us a fantastic insight into people’s attitudes about disabled people drinking alcohol.  Alcohol is something people get worried about when thinking about giving it to someone with a disability because they are concerned whether they can handle it or if they have the capacity to know how much they can have.  It’s about giving people a choice if they have capacity to make that choice and letting them decide on what they want to drink and how much.  I know sometimes people need to be told when they have had enough but they shouldn’t be banned from knowing what people their age are doing. A situation has happened to

Get Over Yourself... We're Only Disabled!  Hey my lovely readers, hope you are well. Chapter 18  We have a brain and a heart  Sometimes people can find it difficult to communicate with a person in a wheelchair, a walker or may look slightly different due to their disability.  This makes me feel sad, however truthfully, it does happen and I strongly feel that people need to focus on the whole person more, not just the disability that they have.  A person’s disability isn't the whole image of them - their qualities, interests, hobbies and beliefs are just as important and others should identify these too.  Our brains might be damaged but it doesn't mean we don't have one!  We do have our own thoughts and emotions and we have a heart, let us use what we have to be part of the world and have our place in society.  We have been put on this planet to be able to have our thoughts and use our emotions, don't take this from us because we are disabled. Thinking about d

  Get Over Yourself... We're Only Disabled! Hey my lovely readers, hope you are well.   Chapter 17 Whether we’re male or female, ask us what gender we prefer for care, don’t assume  When we are receiving support, such as personal care, it is important to make sure that we are consulted about whether we prefer to have a particular gender support us.  This helps us to feel comfortable and dignified.  For example, males might be more comfortable to receive care from a male and females might be more comfortable with females.   I prefer to receive care from females as this makes me feel more comfortable.  It allows me to talk more freely about my care.  I wouldn’t want to discuss my periods with a male! From a social point of view, it is also important to ask whether we prefer to be with a certain gender for activities.  For example, boys might prefer to go down the pub and watch football with a male (unless there is a female who really enjoys football!).  I prefer to go shopping wi

  Get Over Yourself ... We're Only Disabled!  Hey my lovely readers, hope you are well. Chapter 16   Don’t ignore non-verbal people  People shouldn't ignore individuals that cannot communicate as everyone is as important as each other and even if they cannot speak, they may be able to communicate in other ways such as, communication aids and devices, pictures, sign language, eye and hand movements or even just making their own personal noise to let people how they are feeling or if they require something or even just to have a conversation with somebody.  Just saying hello to someone in their way is just as special and important as everything else they need to say.   Whatever people use to get their message across, the people who are supporting the individual need to be patient with them because they may take a lot longer to get their message across because of the pace they may need.  So the person needs to respect what they are trying to say in their own unique way.  Don

  Get Over Yourself.... We're Only Disabled  Chapter 15 Girls can wear high heels, even in wheelchairs! Yes, you read the title correctly, girls can wear high heels even in wheelchairs!  People are always telling people in wheelchairs that they need to wear “appropriate footwear” to support them when they are in their wheelchairs or other equipment.  This is correct, however, when girls go out people should be a little more relaxed when it comes to the individual choosing the footwear they want to wear and what makes them feel like a women, not just “the girl in the wheelchair.”   Girls should be given a choice when it comes to footwear.  When people go out they want to look nice and be like other girls of a similar age to them.  If girls want to dress up and wear high heels, this is what they want to do and the people who are caring for them should allow this.  At the end of day, it is up to the individual whether they feel comfortable and how they want to look.  High heels and